Another week of inspired usage of prompt words to craft sentences and which both entertained and, as usual, tested my ability to rank them. In the end it was John's crumbling of cheap cake in 'Home hospice' that propelled it to the fore.
As I was for a short spell this week, with my first-ever independent review and interview, which can be read on https://carolmckay.blogspot.com/2021/03/sandra-davies-drink-with-dead-man.html
Words for the coming week are: float Michelangelo wild
Entries by midnight Thursday 8th April, new words posted Friday 9th
Usual rules: 100 words maximum (excluding title) of flash fiction or poetry using all three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy, science fiction or noir. Serialised fiction is, as always, welcome. All variants and uses of the words and stems are fine. Feel free to post links to your stories on Twitter or Facebook or whichever.
Congratulations, John, on garnering the top spot last week. You most certainly deserved the honor.
ReplyDeletegood one, John! Keep it going.
DeleteI enjoy reading Johns work because he always casually drops in those last few words that either sock you in the face or draw you in to wanting to read on. So well done on gaining last weeks top spot John.
DeleteTripping
ReplyDeleteMichelangelo contemplated his latest subject. He disliked portrait work, but the lead architect at the Sistine Chapel really wanted his son immortalized on canvas. The artist certainly didn’t want to burn that bridge.
The wild haired boy fidgeted on the stool and Michelangelo struggled to get the proper mix for the iridescent eyes.
But wait, weren’t his eyes green a minute ago? An aura floated over the boy’s head like rainbow fish slime, dripping and changing the eye color once again.
“Confound it!” he called out. “Cedric, my medicinal herb is gone. Bring me a fresh supply at once.”
I like the wide range of this.
Deleteoh yes, this encompasses a lot and wraps up the prompts with ease.
DeleteAgain, done so well John.
DeleteYour creativity has no limits, John. So nicely done!
DeleteFLUSHED
ReplyDeleteDermot grinned as Caolin coloured wildly. Sally just rolled her eyes and shook her head before returning to her study of the child floating over the rubble as if it was an ice rink.
“Live and learn, kid, as Michelangelo would say,” Dermot offered.
“Who, the turtle?” Caolin snapped through the blood rush.
Dermot wagged his finger at the boy. “Now now, no need for that. I went to school too. The artist of course.”
Caolin snatched at the excuse to prove himself smarter like a drowning man grabbing flotsam.
“Actually ‘acoro imparo’ were his last words – I’m still learning.”
Very subtle, very cool, very nice, David!
DeleteIt seems Sally wants no part of Caolin. Poor kid. Maybe some day.
Deletejdeegan. Thank you, Antonia. :D
DeleteAh, John - as per a few episodes back, she's still warm from a romp with Colm - which had catalyzed Caolin's unconscious and unrecognized longing. It's all very psychological - the attraction of the unattainable by reason of one seen as a rival and all that.
and a drowning man grabs flotsam ... which sets me wondering how effective that'd be as a lifebelt?
Deleteit's a constant amazement how many interpretations we put on the prompts and keep right on doing it... this is a fine instalment, Perry.
DeleteHave to agree with Antonia here. This is such a more'ish serialisation
DeleteThe Hunting of Utopia
ReplyDeleteThe first day of simulated spring and the air from the vents was pleasantly ambient. Jacques and Gill strolled the wide corridor of Main Street. Synthetic blossoms floated in the air. Little mechanical wild birds chirruped gaily in the girders. At the atrium their fellow band members were assembling around the replica of Michelangelo’s statue of David.
Gill twirled her baton. “This is going to be the best Easter Parade ever.”
“Not a meteor storm in sight,” agreed Jacques.
Cloaked in darkness the alien stealth cruiser pursued the starship’s heat signature with the relentless persistence of a bloodhound.
Well, I hope Jacques and Gill were able to enjoy the parade before death and destruction caught up with them. Nicely done, David.
DeleteI suppose finding utopia is never an easy task. I really enjoyed pleasantly ambient.
DeleteHow effectively chilling, those six opening words!
DeleteUtopia - sounds good, but there's always some fool somewhere waiting to ruin it, as proved this time!
DeleteI like everything about this David. Enjoyed the reading of it as well as the clever constuction of the sentences and incorporation of the prompt words.
DeleteA GLASS OF MILK
ReplyDeleteAs I had done for years, I entered the house – an abandoned ruin boasting shattered windows and warped siding - and climbed the rickety stairs to a third-floor room.
As always, the room was empty save for veils of corner-coating cobwebs, decades-old wildly swirling dust motes, and a white-stained glass sitting on a window sill.
I waited.
A hand slowly materialized in a corner, its index finger pointing like Michelangelo’s God toward the glass.
I went to the window, carefully filled the glass with milk then moved quickly toward the door.
As always, a voice gruffly whispered, “Thank you, Dear.”
I don't think I'd want that milk filling task, regardless of who the drinker once was. I liked the hand of God.
DeleteMe too, the hand of God - so effectively used here too.
DeleteU just loved the corner-coating cobwebs! How brilliant is that?
DeleteSo atmospheric and cleverly chilling, I for one am not going near that house.
Deletecan I hijack the comments for a few moments? I've just set up a new horror imprint with fiction4all.com under the title Gravestone Press. I'm looking for horror stories that fit the theme
ReplyDeleteWhen They Came For You and a word limit of 5000. There will be pennies, only a few but I;m paying on acceptance and contract signed. I'm so excited it's not true! more info write me at
dorothystaticm@gmail.com
Sandra, hope you don't mind, John, send me something, Jim, send me something, David... etc. etc. etc. and I know Sandra doesn't write horror but sometimes she gets very close... Holly, Terrie, everyone...
I've just sent out a mailing, standing back to await the deluge...
Patricia, get better soon, I want some of your 80 word biting little tales, please!!
OK, I'll be back with my contributions very shortly,
Thanks!
Sandra's is the first acceptance!!!!
DeleteI'd like to give it a go, Antonia. What is the deadline?
DeleteTongue In Cheek Ponderings About This Week’s Prompt Words
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder where, in the wild recesses of Holy Bookdom, Sandra manages to come up with the weekly prompt words.
She may, in all innocence, simply pluck them from the air as they float by, but I have a sneaking suspicion she has the dark daemons of folio-hell perched on her shoulder rubbing their scaly paws together as they whisper dastardly difficult words in her ear.
When I saw this week’s selection I thought, ‘Michelangelo, well really, how in a ‘Dillo’s dangly bits am I going to work that into my weekly dose of S.A.S tales.’
Ah, Terrie, you picked a good week to ask;
DeleteFor once I'd a less scholarly take on the task.
The crossword offering a poor choice of three
I seized on the cover of a handy CD –
'The Floating Men' – an American trio –
lyrics original and sparkling with brio
'Idle hours' has students drinking Merlot;
conversational invoking of Michelangelo.
But I trust your complaint is relatively mild
(unlike track eleven: 'The Call of the Wild.')
I often have thought the same thing, but never as eloquently as you, Terrie.
DeleteLOVE IT! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! Terrie, that's pure genius!!
ReplyDeleteChange of focus [420]
ReplyDeleteWithin the month, the problem of Aleks' out-of-school care was solved: a portrait-painter neighbour willingly providing snacks and supervision in exchange for twice-daily walking of his dogs.
Aleks was ecstatic: 'They're big and black and one's called Raphael and the other's Michelangelo!', adding, with an air of educating Pettinger, 'They're Renaissance painters.'
What might once have been considered a problem – Philly Stepcart having his spare key – became a different sort of tease. He got used to returning to a kitchen afloat with the aroma of garlic. Less so her driving him wild, wanting, never able to believe, she would stay.
never able to believe he would stay - lovely simple sentence which has been the downfall of thousands of relationships. A good linking piece for the story to move on.
DeleteWhere was this portrait painter when I was raising kids? What a gold mine for a parent, and the child.
DeleteGo Stepcart.
There is almost a whiff of domesticity about this ... very unlike Pettinger (unless thats what he has a hankering for) but i have a feeling we are being set up for a big display of fireworks, either inside or outside the home. Brilliant continuation Sandra.
DeleteConjuring tricks [Threshold 343]
ReplyDelete'Crying never solves nothing.' Just one of several stupid exhortations floating around my childhood memory. More irritating for its double negative than the uselessness of its advice. Wildly attempting to quell incipient panic I asked myself, 'What about the Dark Ages?' They never had electricity then did they? And if Michelangelo could stand on a scaffold and paint pictures on a ceiling, by candlelight, then you ought to be able to find a way out of this dilemma!
Yeah. But.
But.
Was … dare I believe … I could hear? An engine? See? An oncoming light?
I shouted myself hoarse.
oh yes, winding up the tension now!
DeleteIs it Raven?? Perhaps, but who knows in this wild ride. I enjoyed the double negative.
DeleteI fear the enthusiasm may be somewhat premature. Perhaps you should be quiet until you see what unfolds. Double 'But' is very effective.
Deletethe joys of mediumship 49
ReplyDeleteDistracted a little by the new anthology, not much spirit work has been done this week, that’s if I disregard the wild pushing from them to get me into editing once more. And to help me feel complete again, almost floating. Maybe I needed time out from the work, but I have slid back into it with joy. Michaelangelo called, he has been added to the Artistes book, I have an extensive list of painters already, he will be right at home with them. I would have done more work but I am battling Word Style which is causing mayhem.
I hope to try my hand at your anthology. But it's been a while since I've written over a hundred words. A nice, well written little piece here, Antonia.
DeleteStop The Week, I Want To Get Off (150)
ReplyDeleteShaun’s the sort of person who tends to float through life, everything has to wait until the last moment. And so… the painting of the shop is on hold until the insurance money arrives rather than borrow from the till for the time being. OK, he’s not Michaelangelo but I hoped for some paint on walls before now, chances are we can open on Monday… not that it matters if the shop is a little wild, they’re used to that. And we did sell an antique 5 drawer chest of drawers today… we might get there…
It looks like you will get there indeed. Painted walls not withstanding.
DeleteThe Mad Italian 196
ReplyDeleteThe PM, having floated the idea of Covid passports, is finding out it was a wild and dangerous idea which is already damaging businesses, without it even being brought in. Overwhelming reaction from his own MPs has finished the rout, they will not happen. It is as if Michaelangelo’s finger has pointed the country’s discontent to the Almighty and he has arranged for it all to go away. Now we need to ask him to sort a few other things out… it would help if he were not surrounded by sycophants who are stealing his power one by one.
Ooh, the country's discontent of the Almighty. I imagine there are others around the world discontent in that respect.
DeleteOne wonders why politicians react so often without thinking? Are all of them blockheads?
Delete